rain, rain, go away
by Shatteredsong
Summary: SkyClan was banished from the old forest and sent to the new; their camp was where the lake is now, but a flood takes a young kit's life and he haunts the land. A tale of woe and horror, death and crime, love and loss.
1. Code of SkyClan

_**Okay, once I get all my muse out ( and get enough time ) I'll post the allegiances on the page after this.**_

_**What this page is is the new 'Warrior Code' that SkyClan uses, just to help with confusion later on c: Some things have not changed, some things have.**_

_**I may add more in the future.**_

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**Code of SkyClan**

In order for kits to become apprentices, they must be at least five moons of age.

A. She-kits must be at least six moons in order to become apprentices.

i. This is not sexist; it is because feminine cats have weaker muscles and develop mentally faster than they do physically, so they get an extra moon as a kit before being sent to the duties.

B. Tom-kits must be at least five moons in order to become apprentices.

i. Tom-kits develop physically before they do mentally, so to speak. They begin training early so they have time to become warriors at the same time as the she-cats, while still getting their extra category.

C. Kits that are born in leaf-fall or leafbare and got greencough ( or, in some cases, another deadly disease in any other season ) can become apprentices a moon or two later than normal.

i. When cats are sick, their bodies do not grow as quickly as normal and they need some extra time to recuperate.

In order for apprentices to become warriors, they must have trained for four to six moons.

A. They must have focused training on hunting for one to two moons.

B. They must have focused training on fighting for two to three moons.

C. They must have focused training on other things ( patrolling, building dens, etc. ) for one to two moons.

D. Toms must focus training on mental things ( problem solving, organizing patrols, etc. ) for one to two moons.

In order for warriors to become elders, they must have been doing their duties for at least seventy moons.

A. In case of early blindness or a crippling injury ( or some other similar issue ) they can retire early.

Queens must be over twenty moons of age in order to become pregnant.

A. If a she-cat is forcebred, this rule is ignored.

B. A she-cat and a tom can be in love and consider themselves mates as soon as they become warriors, but they cannot physically mate until she is of that age.

C. If a queen has two or more crippled ( blind, stillborn, etc. ) kit, she and her mate will be deemed infertile and will not be permitted to mate with anyone, not even each other.

i. One crippled kit is permitted as not every litter is perfect.

Warriors must be over twenty six moons in order to become deputy.

A. They must have had one graduated apprentice in order to be considered for the spot.

Deputies must be over thirty three moons in order to become leader.

A. Exceptions are made when the leader loses their lives abruptly, disappear, or pass the age of ninety moons, when they become elders.

Medicine cat apprentices must be over sixteen moons in order to become full medicine cats.

A. They can receive their name at twelve moons.

B. They must have spent one to two moons focusing on the names of herbs.

C. They must have spent three or more moons focusing on what herbs do.

D. They must have spent one to two moons focusing on where to find certain herbs.

Leaders must follow the traditional ceremonies.

A. Meeting

i. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join HERE / HERE BENEATH THE HIGHSTONE for a Clan meeting!"

B. Warrior Name

i. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. HE / SHE has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend HIM / HER to you as a warrior in HIS / HER turn. APPRENTICE NAME, do you promise to follow the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

ii. "I do."

iii. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. APPRENTICE NAME, from this day forth you will be known as WARRIOR NAME. SkyClan welcomes you as a full warrior."

C. Apprentice Name

i. "I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this kit. HE / SHE would like to become a warrior of SkyClan, but first must become an apprentice. KIT NAME, from this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as APPRENTICE NAME. MENTOR NAME, you will train APPRENTICE NAME. MENTOR'S MENTOR'S NAME was your mentor. I hope that HIS / HER TRAIT and TRAIT will pass through you to your new apprentice."

D. Medicine Cat Name

i. "I, MEDICINE CAT NAME, medicine cat of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. HE / SHE has trained hard to learn the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help HE / SHE will serve HIS / HER Clan for many moons. MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

ii. "I do."

iii. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE, from this moment on you shall be known as FULL MEDICINE CAT NAME. StarClan honors your VIRTUE and VIRTUE. May you use them to serve your Clan for endless moons."

E. Name Change

i. This is used in unusual circumstances, such as when a cat receives a disfiguring injury.

ii. "Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you, for it no longer stands for what HE / SHE is. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give this cat a new name. From this moment on, HE / SHE will be known as NEW NAME.

F. Dying Apprentice

i. "I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. HE / SHE has learned the warrior code and has given up HIS / HER life in the service is HIS / HER Clan. Let StarClan receive HIM / HER as a warrior. HE / SHE will be known as WARRIOR NAME.

G. Elders

i. "WARRIOR NAME, you say that the time has come for you to join the elders. Are you sure this is what you want?"

ii. "I am."

iii. "Then you will rely on apprentices and younger warriors to bring you fresh-kill, and you are no longer able to go on patrol."

H. Leader Name

i. As this ceremony is sacred and almost everyone knows it, I do not believe that it is necessary to write the entire thing out.

The actual code is as follows.

A. Defend your Clan with your life.

B. Do not trespass on others' territory.

C. Elders and queens / kits must be fed before apprentices or warriors.

D. Prey is killed to be eaten, not played with.

E. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their name.

F. After the death or retirement of a deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

G. When a deputy becomes leader, he or she has three days to make the trip to the Moonpool, receive his or her lives, and return and name their deputy.

H. Boundaries are to be checked and marked daily; challenge any and all trespassing cats.

I. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, no matter where the kit belongs.

J. The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.

K. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.

L. A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.

M. If a leader or medicine cat is on their way to the Moonpool or other sacred areas, they cannot be attacked.

N. Female medicine cats may have mates, but not kits. Male medicine cats may have both, so long as he pays attention to his duties more than he does his kits.


	2. Prologue

_**I **_**do not _update this very frequently, be warned. If I get enough good reviews I'll continue sooner. _**

**_And the only reason I killed poor Hollowkit in this is because that's what the plot revolves around and yes, I feel bad for doing it xD _**

**_But if you like it, tell me and I'll be more inclined to write more c:_**

**_All characters are copyright to me. The setting for Hollowkit's death is where the lake currently is in the new forest._**

**_Basically, SkyClan left the old forest because there wasn't enough room and ended up in the new one. The lake didn't exist then, but a flood filled it up quickly. SkyClan moved onto what is now RiverClan territory and lived as a single Clan, following their own code, their own rules. I will also be putting up allegiances soon ( possibly ) k? k.  
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_**Enjoy!  
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**"Mother?"**

The sound was followed by nothing, partially muted by the steady rainfall. The small kit was soaked, staring around at the camp. Nobody was there to help him, nobody was there to rescue him. It wasn't like the tom could swim; he was barely old enough to eat real fresh-kill. His paws were blocking the almost natural flow of the floodwater, making it tear at them to try and move them. The currents were rushing and tugging, constantly taking him off balance. He needed to hurry and get to higher land if he planned on surviving for much longer. Solely focused on the problem at hand, he cast away the thought that he would never see his family again. He knew that he had to move. Scrambling away from the tall reeds that surrounded him, he moved briskly toward the leader's den. His paws sank deeper into the mud with each step and his heart started pounding harder than it had been, but an adrenaline surge possibly saved his life.

He leaped forward and landed on mostly dry land, the water barely touching his pads. His speed didn't end there, though; pushing up with his hind paws he managed to make it to the tall boulder that Riverstar called meetings from. Unsheathing his claws, the small kit flinched as one of them collided with the rock and part of the tip broke. The others caught onto the moss and he was thankful for the slight tilt that the rock held, the only reason that he didn't tumble back down. Pushing ahead once more, his body only lingered an inch above it but hovered there for long enough for him to grasp the top of the thing with his claws. Hissing as his stomach collided with the frozen stone, he closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. He couldn't hold it in as long as he needed to, but it wasn't solvable at that time. Exhaling slowly while he pulled himself up and onto it, a cold feeling rushing through him, he relaxed for long enough to catch his breath.

Opening his eyes once he had more energy, the tomkit glanced around him. The floodwater was rising higher; if he had been on the ground it would probably already be right above his paws. Then he realized-- nobody was ever going to come for him. He could see above the camp from that point, just enough to be able to know that there was nobody within earshot. Every piece of hope that he had felt crashed inside of him, bringing his body down to press his face against the cold stone. He knew that he was going to die there, never to breathe again. A bird flew over him, ignoring the flood but probably looking for someplace dry to land. He was envious of the creature, of its ability to fly away from the water and save itself. A feather fell from it, landing in the oversized pool in front of him. It floated peacefully away, twirling every so often as it left his line of sight. Then, a second after he had lost it, it returned; but now, it lifted out of the water. He could feel the breeze as it moved across the air to him, fluttering over the water.

The feather somehow got high enough in the air to arrive at his paws, lying there as if waiting for him to respond. His nose dipped down and he picked it up between his teeth, holding it there. He didn't know what had made him do that, but he did; it almost comforted him, and he felt his hope partially returning. The feather fluttered on the outside of his mouth, making him feel like it was willing him to turn. He did, looking out over the territory. There was water, everywhere. It was completely flooded and somewhere inside of him he knew that it would never become SkyClan's camp again, never be emptied. And somehow, he accepted it as fact.

He had been left behind for a reason. Maybe his Clan didn't want him anymore, maybe they just forgot him on complete accident. However, that didn't matter to him anymore. He was standing on a rock in the center of a forming lake, rain pouring down on him. But he was willing to accept this, take it in like only a StarClan cat would. He sat on the rock that he had made his way up to and waited, watching the dens disappear as the water washed them away. The feather stayed in his mouth, the actually feathery part whirling around with the stem clenched between his teeth. The black thing was dripping, a spray of water constantly getting caught in it then flung as the wind captured its obedience once more. It was still raining all around him, but he didn't feel it anymore.

The feather was suddenly jerked from his jaws and his calm being instantly disappeared, terror setting in once more. He needed to get the feather back! The kit lunged after its falling form, bounding into the water that he had just escaped a few short moments ago. The black shape landed a minute or two after he had, floating away faster than he could wade through the deepening pool. **"No!"** His voice didn't help him in the slightest bit; rather, it distracted him and it took air that would have been better used if it had stayed in his lungs a moment or two longer. The tom tripped on a rock that was in the water, stumbling forth and choking in some of it. He coughed, staggering in his path and losing sight of the feather.

Despair set in and he stopped abruptly, trying to keep his head above the water. It touched his chin at the point that he was at, even when he stretched out his neck as far as he could. He felt lost, helpless, just like the kit he truly was. He could hear voices inside of his head, telling him it was okay, they would all get through it. The tom laughed bitterly, knowing fairly well that that wasn't true. Maybe SkyClan would get through it, but he wouldn't. And he knew that he would never wish to live in StarClan if he had not avenged himself. He had never had a truly evil side, but it was beginning to show. His mother hadn't wanted him to stay with her, to go with her into the free world where the others were. His siblings had always picked on him, mocked him for his coat. None of his Clanmates really cared for him; one of the warriors had once tried to poison him with deathberries while his father looked the other way. The only one who had really cared was gone, long gone.

She had been so sweet and loving, encouraging him when everyone else laughed at the fact that he was even trying. He had loved her, more than he had loved anyone else, and he had wanted her to be with him forever. But it turned out that she was one of them; she hadn't even looked for him when they fled from the flood. Or had she? Doubt filled his mind and he knew that in a short moment he wouldn't be able to breathe anyway. He closed his eyes in fear, unable to look at the water.

They opened back up a second later as, instead of inhaling air, he took in water. He was choking on it, choking on his fear, and he needed to get out. He began to flail his paws, moving abruptly to try and find some way to get above the water. His stomach was beginning to hurt, his lungs feeling like they would burst. He gasped in another breath of water, eyes wide. His nose was blocked from the air; he couldn't get anything healthy inside of his lungs, nothing but water. The feel of rain was gone and he knew that, before very long, his body would be sinking as the lake rose to cover him. Every limb ached, as if he had been swimming for his entire life and hesitated just long enough to fall. _Is this what drowning feels like?_

His thoughts where the only even remotely comforting thing, helping his hold on sanity remain just for a moment. He shifted, head breaking the surface and mouth opening to let his lungs feel air once more. Then the current turned him over, whirling around in deathly circles. His head collided with a rock, something that would have killed him if he hadn't been pushed away so quickly by the ever-changing currents. Panic flooded through his veins, showing on his face. Once more he was released from the water, but not for long enough to get in enough air. It mixed with water and went down his air pipes, mouth opening wide in a soundless cry of pain. He could see his crush's face on his blackening vision, see her encouraging him to hold on for one more moment. Then she placed the feather back in his mouth, using it to pull him back to the surface.

His eyes opened and he realized that he was still alive, water constantly flowing out of his lungs. There was a she-cat staring down at him in concern and his heart leaped with the hope that it was her; however, that hope crashed when he realized that the she-cat above him was much too old, even though she looked almost exactly like her. He let her push against his lungs and inhaled the air gratefully, letting her rasp her tongue against him to get the blood flowing again.

Another moment passed and once more he was in the water, whirling around. A simple wish had completely taken over his mind for long enough to lull him into a painful moment of silence, occasionally breaching the water to get air. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive for very much longer, especially since he could barely breathe as there was so much liquid in his lungs. He needed help, very desperately, but he knew that he couldn't ever get it. He was in the middle of a lake and drowning by the second and he would never live to see the next morning, anything.

And so, he let himself pass over to the dark clutches of StarClan.


End file.
